“The Washington Monthly” Publishes Article on Controversy Surrounding Eckstein’s Latest Book
A piece published by The Washington Monthly explores the controversy surrounding Cuban Privilege: The Making of Immigrant Inequality in America, the latest book by Susan Eckstein, Professor of International Relations and Sociology at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies.
The article, titled “Miami’s Fight Over Cuban Privilege,” outlined a recent book talk Eckstein gave at the Florida International University’s (FIU) Cuban Research Institute on her new book, which documents how Republican and Democratic administrations over the years have bestowed unique entitlements, benefits, and exemptions from U.S. immigration rules and regulations on the Cuban American diaspora, for reasons relating to domestic politics and foreign policy. Prior to her scheduled book talk, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Cabrera lambasted FIU for hosting Eckstein calling her work ” hate-filled, inflammatory, [and] anti-Cuban.” The Commissioner’s comments sparked outrage in the area and lead to a tense event.
As noted in the article, criticism of Eckstein’s work is largely unplaced. Dr. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, a spokesperson for the Cuban Democratic Directorate, was invited to offer a retort of Eckstein’s presentation. As The Washington Monthly notes, “the critique Gutiérrez-Boronat delivered that evening never directly addressed Eckstein’s central thesis about the privileged status enjoyed by Cuban exiles and immigrants for 63 years.” The entire experience left Eckstein shocked. In discussing the situation, she notes, “I have noticed throughout this controversy that if I report something, it is assumed to be my opinion. This is incorrect. I am a scholar; I report information irrespective of my personal beliefs.”
The full article can be read on The Washington Monthly‘s website.
Susan Eckstein, Professor of International Relations and Sociology at the Pardee School, focuses her research on Latin America and Latin American immigration. She has written extensively on Mexico, Cuba, and Bolivia, and, in recent years, on immigration and its impact across borders, as well as on U.S. immigration policy. She has written and edited books on the urban poor, the impacts of revolutions, social movements, and social rights. On Cuba, her books have focused on the impact of the Castro-led revolution, on Cuban immigrants, and on U.S. Cuban immigration policy. She is the recipient of many fellowships, including from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, as well as awards for her writings. Learn more about Professor Eckstein on her faculty profile.